Top Ten Saddest Deaths In Video Games

LucasMota

The Top Ten

1Lee Everett - The Walking Dead Video GameLee Everett is the main character of the first season of The Walking Dead video game. Lee is the player character in the first season of the game, appearing in five episodes.

I know this game is fairly recent, and it's incredibly underrated, but after developing as a character, you know Lee was amazing, who'd do anything to protect the 8 year old Clementine. So, when he was bitten, I thought that you cut of the arm, then he wouldn't die (just like Rick Grimes in the comic series). Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that. So, with just you and Clementine, and Lee's half zombified, you have the decision of whether letting Clemmy shoot you or leave you. Either way, it's a deeply saddening scene, and in which many Youtubers that played the game cried at this scene, like myself. Not bad for game of the year.

There are few video games that have left me helpless in the real world. Games that have left not wanting to touch another game for weeks. This was one of them, I had become so attached to all the people in this game and so intent on protecting Clementine and I was left with the most heart wrenching decision at the end. Wonderful game. But so emotionally scaring.

You are so emotionally attached to him! You spend five episodes doing nothing but protecting Clem and he gets bit? LEE? No, not Lee, Lee is invincible! And the when you saw Clem's tears as she lifted the gun... I bawled my eyes out. How can you not?

You know no other game affected me for months since John Marston's death I cryed for months all he did just to see his family his wife, son, and surprisingly he missed Uncle. Here's something to think about in the I know you stranger task the third time you encounter him he's in Beecher's Hope he said " you know John this is a nice spot" that spot is where John Marston is buried later in the game then John Marston replies to him " tell me your damn name or I want be responsible for my actions" then The strange man said "oh you will you will be responsible" him saying that means he knows John will die and he knows where he would be baried. John should be number 1!

It was a fitting and worthy death, and it was so appropriate, but nevertheless, it made me tear up. I wanted John Marston's happy ending so bad.

This game has probably the best story of any video game and the best voice acted game ever with the best dialogue. The story in this game is way better than Grand Theft Auto 5. Due to Red Dead's great characterization it was devastating when John Marston died after he went from "bad guy" to "good guy" and also to good father. This was also exemplified by all the previous experiences and all John went through. And after he's dead your left with his son and wife but soon after his wife dies too. And after that you kind of feel really lonely. Awesome game; it by far has my favorite story.

I just got to the end and I was like I can use my dead eye but I did not kill any of them :(

I was in shock when he died. Price's reaction just pushed it over the top for me. We got to see this awesome character from the time when he started off as a little nobody Sgt all the way to the badass Cpt MacTavish we love and mourn.

One of the saddest deaths in Call of Duty history. Soap was a complete badass. Shooting Zakhaev at the last moment, throwing that knife in Shepherds eye.R.I. P to one of the best FPS characters ever.

The saddest death I've ever seen. I was in tares when I saw him die. Price's scream's just made it sadder. But, the one thing that really made it: Price placing the Colt 1911 that Soap used to kill Zakheav on his chest.R.I. P the best Call of Duty character ever.

Really the saddest death. I was literally crying when he fell that bad. You don't believe it? Play the trilogy and see how much you get attached

Aerith holds a special place in my heart. I was eight and had to watch one of my favorite characters die, my parents had me pause the game. I was already crying when they told me that my grandmother had died of her Lou Gehrig disease. Aerith and her death are entwined with my grandmother and will always be the saddest death in video game history to me.

The thing about Aerith's death in Final Fantasy VII is that you know it's coming, so you make sure to use Aerith and interact with her as much as you can before she dies. Then when the time comes, despite you knowing it's coming, it's absolutely heartbreaking because you spent so much time with her. Complete with a gut-wrenching stab right through her torso and the emotional "Aerith's Theme" playing in the background, and you have the saddest video game death ever.

During y first play through I was shocked that Aerith was suddenly killed by Sephiroth. It was very emotional for me as a kid. Combined with the music mad it even sadder. Finally When I beat Crisis Core, I replayed FF7 and Aerith's death was not only sad, but it was... Happy. Aerith would finally be reunited with her hero Zack. Long live the last ancient, Aerith.

This was the first time I had ever cried from playing a video game and it still upsets me. If square ever get round to finally releasing the redone ff7 I wonder if this scene will make us all cry again.

The fact that Soap beats Dom on this list confuses me. I don't know anyone that cried when Soap died, I don't even know anyone that cried when John Marston died. My best friend still gets sad when you mention Dom in Gears of War. He actually had to stop playing when Dom died because he started crying. John died because he was a criminal, Soap died because he was betrayed. Dom died because he was a soldier tired of fighting an endless war that he not only didn't see it ever ending, but he also had no reason left for him to continue fighting after his wife died. So, Dom sacrificed himself so maybe his best friend could make it out alive.

It wasn't that I had grown particularly close to Dom, or even thought this game was anything fantastic, but the way that Dom's death was presented, the situation, and his attitude, not to mention something he had found earlier in the game (won't spoil) as well as... Well, pretty much everything about this scene... Just so sad. So... Down to earth and touching. I don't cry during games, they just don't get me emotional... But this one made me the closest I have ever been. - Kazzong

Sadly we all knew it was coming just wasn't exactly sure how it would come about, and when it did finally happen it was an emotion felt world wide. He did get what he wanted he is with maria again in a better place. Rest in peace Dom you did delta squad proud.

I wish I would have been there in real life. I would have wasted m last bit of energy just to pull the gun from Shepherd, kill him, me and Ghost could jack the helicopter, we would kill the pilots, and me and Ghost could ride of to kill Makarov.

It's so weird, everyone just develops this feeling that ghost is so awesomely awesome... Ghost, you will be missed and that knife in Shepard's eye was dedicated to you

saddest death in modern warfare 2. R.i.P Ghost

Ghost is one of my favorite video game characters. Saddest death in an FPS game in my opinion - venomouskillingmachine

This really shouldn't have much going for it. The second we know Sarah is Joel's daughter we all know that she's practically already dead. It's just the way the apocalypse tropes work. I could almost count the number of lines she has before she dies in my head. You've literally known this character for less than 20 minutes by the time she dies... So why is it so effective.Naughty Dog executes this scene and the buildup so well. You hear the chemistry she has with her father. By playing as her, you as a player experience the shock and disbelief she holds. Hearing Joel talking from the backseat further cements the drive to get her to safety.Then there's the death itself. As she bleeds out, she's gasping, crying in agony. This performance alone would be enough to drive some to tears at the tragic sight. It goes further with Joel's reaction. The clenched fists, every little detail in his expression... Even now thinking of the line "Don't do this to me baby" makes me ...more

Definitely should be higher on the list. Even though it's at the beginning of the game and you haven't really connected with the characters yet, you still see the connection Sarah had with her dad and you feel Joel's mourning over losing his daughter as he holds her in his arms. Made me tear up, and that's pretty difficult.

Everything from Troy Baker's and Hana Hayes performance to the visual design, the soundtrack, and the script pulls this scene together perfectly. Joel's mourning had a quietness to it. He doesn't scream or yell. He holds his daughter, pleading, before he breaks out in tears. That simplicity makes this death extremely effective. Then there's the way she died. She was shot for virtually no reason other than caution and the military not wanting to take any risks. Even the man who pulled the trigger was extremely reluctant to do so. Joel gets up after Tommy shoots the soldier, and they hear sobbing. They, and by extension, we know exactly what it is. Sarah is in pain, more pain than a lot of us can imagine. A lot of characters who get shot either survive or die strong, no tears, maybe a grunt here or there. But Sarah is a child, and we are reminded of that fact when we hear her sobbing. And when everything goes quiet, we can't help but weep with Joel. It's easily one of the most ...more

Man, if more people knew about this game, this would definitely be higher on the list. So, this kid is the twin brother of the protagonist. So no doubt they shared a strong bond. When their mother dies, he risks his life and apparently dies trying. HE'S ALREADY DEAD AT THIS EARLY POINT IN THE GAME. But wait! It turns out the bad guys found him and BASICALLY TURNED HIM INTO A CYBORG. He had no recollection of his former life, it seems, and he was nothing but a servant to the tyrant. Can you imagine dying, then getting reconstructed into nothing but a cyborg, completely controlled with absolutely no idea you had a life before? Imagine taking it all in when you realize you're trying to kill your twin brother in the final battle, suddenly waking up. And who snaps you out of it? You're dead mother's spirit, who's beggin you not to kill your only brother. The suicide thing was shocking (no pun intended), but looking at it this way, it really puts evything together. Claus's death was so ...more

People really really need to play this game. Claus's death should be number one just by how sad this story is seeing as he starts the game being killed than he is brought back to life to do terrible things and while he is doing this is brother is trying to stop him. Than when his brother finally catches up to him Claus almost kills his brother before finally coming to his senses and realizes all the things he has done due to the monster who brought him back and as if to atone for it he than kills himself RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS BROTHER Lucas had to endure so much through his journey and then had to watch his brother die good god!

Mother 3 has a lesson to tell and does so in the most sorrowful way possible. Not so much the deaths themselves, but the meaning surrounding it. Flint's reaction to Hinawa's death is sure to wrench at your gut, and if you battle your way to the very end, your greeted with an incredibly climactic and emotional battle with your own brother. The developer was clearly relentless, because even after the longest battle in the game, your brother still ends up dead, and your faced with a decision to either give the world fresh life or simply end it. Then the world ends. Do you really want to know why Mother 3 isn't available in English? The translators couldn't see the text through their own tears.

Not as sad as in Punch Out Wii. When Donkey Kong (Yes, DONKEY KONG) won a the match against Little Mac, which cost him his third outing, there was a curscene where Doc Louis, his coach, goes up to his bike and says "Good job, son. Good job" and the music is also saddening. That meant... DONKEY KONG KILLED LITTLE MAC!

9Joker - Batman: Arkham CityThe Joker is a fictional super villain created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson who first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book Batman (April 25, 1940) published by DC Comics . Credit for the Joker's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design, ...read more.

When I saw joker die I wasnt in tears exactly. I was in more than tears. I was in pain at the sight of seeing one of the best villains of history dying and in that night I couldn't sleep at all seeing my favorite villain die. I wanted to cry that night but I guess it was just the shock

Just the shock! I bawled my head out

This is a moment that I will never forget. Joker may have been evil, but he was the only person who really knew Batman. In the end, he was Batman's arch nemesis, but he was also Batman's best friend. Other than Alfred - letdot52

An amazingly powerful line. Bioware is known for amazing dialog, but this was a truly heart wrenching goodbye.

You got so attached to Mordin by playing ME2, and he gave his life as an act of heroism to make amends to his mistake, as he finally realizes the Genophage was wrong. He was one of the best characters of Mass Effect, and I think it's safe to say that whoever played this at heart shed a couple tears when this guy died.

Mordin - I would have liked to run tests on those sea shells.Shepard - I'm sorry Mordin.Mordin - It had to be me... Someone else might have gotten it wrong.

I just saw his death scene. I'm so sad. Mordin was a good companion. I'm so glad that he fought the human reaper alongside with me at the end of Mass Effect 2. Goodbye friend. I am sure I'm gonna miss you. - Aguythatpeopleignores

The Newcomers

?Kaede Akamatsu - Danganronpa V3

?Morgan Leflay - Tales of Monkey Island

The Contenders

11Tidus - Final Fantasy X

After going through the game you really get used to the characters especially Tidus and when disappears at the end leaving yuna all alone and possibly never to see her love again is really depressing and even more depressing when the music is playing and the fact he knew he was going to die makes it even worse as he had already accepted his fate

Final fantasy X is the only game to have ever made me cry. Tidus had gone from being some angsty, cocky, spoilt celebrity to someone who given up his life for the greater good. I had developed an emotional bond with him, I had saw him transform into the man he became, and when I saw him disappear, I couldn't help but to cry.

Wait... TIDUS DIES!?!?

12Zack Fair - Crisis Core

In the end he has to kill his close friend Sephiroth, gets made an experiment for four years, has to kill Genesis after trying his hardest to save him, watches the Director as well as the Angeal clone both die right in front of him, finds a letter saying Aerith has sent him 89 letters and waited for his return for four year then just as he is close to reaching Midgar to see her again gets ambushed by the Shinra army just to die in the end protecting his best friends life. He becomes a hero just as he dies and still manages to die with a smile on his face. I always found Cloud's scream during that scene to be just so heartbreaking as well considering he watched his friend and mentor die protecting him when he probably could have easily lived had he left cloud behind and made a run for it.

The thing about Crisis Core is that you never feel like you've beaten this game. You know his death is coming, but yet you play and you fight anyway; part of you not accepting that it ends with his death. In the end, no matter what, the game FORCES you to loose. I couldn't function as a human for days after I finished the game. All I did was writhe around on the floor for a few days, unable to even form a coherent thought. To this day I can't hear the name without getting a lump in my throat. Zack died a hero, and to this day he's my favorite character of all time. He should be #1

For several years I refused to look at the game because I already knew what was going to happen since I already played the original since I was a kid... I eventually gave in and took a look at the walkthroughs on YouTube. Seeing how great his personality was made me feel sad just looking at him, and dread the ending more than I had earlier. And then the ending came. I cried, and still cry just thinking about it. First saw it about five years ago and I finally was able to get the game earlier this year, but stopped once I got to Aerith's church because I felt like I was going through everything too fast... the ending is drawing near once again, and the further I go, the heavier the weight in my chest becomes...

Hard to see one of the best FF's characters dying in such a way. It was a hard end for me.

After seeing the rest of your squad go down, you're left all alone on the desolate surface of Reach as the Covenant burn all around you. What makes this death particularly sad is the fact that the game lets you customize Noble 6, to really let you become the character. In the end, you're left to die all alone. There's no escape, no cavalry, no happy ending, just a silver lining that you're too dead to enjoy.

Noble 6, no, the entire Noble Team's death was so tragic. From the moment you saw the helmet in the beginning, you knew it wasn't going to end well. You and Noble Team do everything they can to prevent Reach from falling, but one by one, each and every single one of you gets picked off, until only 6 is left, lonely on a destroyed Reach, and make one final stand, leading up to that shot in the beginning. "Objective: Survive"

It was sad, kinda makes me hesitate when I replay the game.Also I would just like to state for the record. I think the death or foe-hammer in the first Halo was the saddest in game death in the halo series.

Cortana was a good candidate but she didn't actually die, noble six was a great character and you got attached to him even though he doesn't talk much. Also it was sad to see him go when he survived an energy sword in the first mission, but died by energy sword at the end.

But he didn't die... Except the ending where all the little sisters you bring to the surface are all at your death bed.

15Kenny - The Walking Dead

Kenny lets Shawn die at the beginning when he panics, when Ben does the same it causes Kenny's wife and son to die and Kenny hates Ben for it yet at the very end Kenny dies fighting to save Ben and dies in the process, a fitting end for a brilliant character

Duck was kinda annoying, but he was way too young, and he died in a lot of pain from the walker bite.

This is sad because you become attached to these characters and in the end you decide who lives or dies

Have never felt worse about killing a character in a video game. The strength of the relationship between Snake and The Boss is discussed constantly throughout the game, a combination of a relationship between two comrades, and a (figurative) mother and a son. The fact that the game forces you to pull the trigger yourself when she's lying on the ground, almost comforting Snake makes it worse.

Even before the final twist, which makes the gut punch even worse, it would still top the list.

I admit, Big Boss's death is sad, but he died normally. Well, almost normally, because of that virus. But I think in the original MGS3, you were forced to shoot The Boss. At the end of MGS3 HD, it was kinda like Fox's death, couldn't shoot her. In fact, her death is one of the few that made me tear up. She was a true patriot, even though she is considered a traitor and a monster.

The boss gave up everything for her country only to go down as a traitor and nobody was to know what she actually did for her country not to mention that big boss her own pupil had to be the one to kill her.

I didn't cry... until I saw the cutscenes R.I.P. most badass final boss ever

How could so few people vote for Hinawa's death scene. I mean, if you have a different opinion cool but... FLINT starts to attack the other villagers because he's so upset and gets sent to prison IN FRONT OF HIS SONS EYES! And every now again the game will give you a painful reminder of this through flash backs and vision of a ghost Hinawa! And that ending, oh god that ending...

You have not seen a sad game until you have played mother 3. Hinawa's death is of massive emphasis to that fact. The incredible deppression following her death makes it even sadder, and if that isn't enough you are given countless scenes where lucas reunites with Hinawa's spirit, and then loses her all over again. Than your brother dies... By suicide, and than the world ends. Mother 3 is a see how long you can last before crying.

Hearing of her death almost threw me into tears because it reminded me of something I really liked and then it died caused me to cry as well.. I understood how Lucas and Claus feel when that happened

Flint almost kills three people IN FRONT OF CLAUS AND LUCAS! How sad of a death in the BEGINNING OF THE GAME! :(

In the same way that Rue's death sparked District 11's uprising and Katniss Everdeen's sadness, Henry Tomasino's death sparked an outraged Joe Barbaro and a saddened Vito Scaletta into slaughtering millions at the Red Dragon restaurant.

Very very depressing. Informer or not, getting hacked to death is a terrible way to die... even if he was a rat, Henry was a very nice guy, and I believe he really did like Vito and Joe.

The way he died was pretty harsh I mean he was screaming and I'm guessing he saw Vito and Joe coming to save him got his hopes up and then he died

It brought me to a bond with him he was the great person and I think he shall come again out of the fire of this destruction as the savior again and defend this galaxy with peace and leave harmony in his death he is a real life saver ill miss him I still can't replay the game after 8 months you think it's just a video game character at first but then it becomes real and shakes you all the adventures all the friends and everyone dies in some cases he died a noble death and has now gone to videogame heaven with other ones like the Krogers and other countless species and others will die in the under realm where they should be he is the best friend ever.

He/she has the saddest death ever. Not just because Shepard was dead but because I would never find out if they ever got to have little blue children with liara. Putting in well over 100 hours with all these characters made the story seem real and with shepards death it was over. Watching shepard sacrifice himself while in his last moments thought of all the people near to him just gave me so many feels.

After playing through countless hours across three games you become commander Shepard. When he dies a part of you dies with him (or her). This is the only time I have ever came close to crying at the end of a game. This is way too low on the charts, #1 in my mind.

Imagine your living your life trying to find your place in the world and doing so many things to accomplish that and than your told that you shouldn't even exist. That's what happened to roxas he wanted to be alive and have a life of his own but he wasn't supposed to exist that's just wow

I seriously hope he returns as his own person in the later games because his continuous 'death' scenes are killing me here :( just allow him to exist already!

Roxas is a person in between the very thin line between happiness and sadness. He is used, and keeps telling everyone "I am me! Nobody else! ". He finally excepts his fate and reunites with Sora. Plus why the heck did he have to go. He is a badass when it comes to duel wielding Keyblades.

P. S I would also vote for xion and axle, they're deaths are also really sad.